Air tester



Nov. 1l, 1930. E. H. MCFARLAND AIR TESTER Filed Oct.

INVENTOR 6 @1W m mm mm lATTORNEY Patented Nov. 11, 1930 UNITED y STATES FAYETTEVILLE, NCRTH CAROLINA.

PATENT OFFICE f v ERNEST MUFARLAND, F LOUISBURG, NORTHGAROLINA, ASSIGNOR OF ONFIHIB'D TO JAMES A. HODGES,V LOUISB'UBG, NORTH. GARQLINA, ONE-SIXTH'TO M. HODGES, 0F RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, AND GNE-SIX'II-IiTO JOI-IN M. HODGESgOF AIR TESTER Application siea'oetob'era, 192s. serial No.v 309,811.

r`My present invention has reference to new and useful improvements in air control valves which are designed to be placed in the airline used to lill automobile tires.

An object of my invention is to provide a valve of this character which will show the pressure of the air inthe tire being -filled without removing the same from the stem,

y and which will relieve any excess air pressure in a simple, effective and accurate manner.

A further obj ect is toimprove the construction upon which I have iled application for U. S. Patent on J an. 14, 1928, and which bears Serial No. 246,864. i

yTo the attainment of.4 the foregoing and other objects which willpresent themselves theimprovement further resides in certain other novel Ydetails of construction, combination and operative association of parts, one

. the elements associated therewith,'parts being in section. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the removable cage for the ball valve.,` p Figure 5 is a detail sectional view through one end of the improvement to illustrate the manner in which the cage for the ball valve is held positioned by` contact with the nipple. l

V-As disclosed by the drawings my improvedl device comprises a somewhat elongated body 1, which has both of its edge portions round in cross section and these rounded rportions are connected by a central web 2. Each ofthe rounded portions is provided with a lon-- gitudinally extending roundbore, the upperv bore being indicated by the numeral 3 and the lower bore by the numeral 4. In each of these bores there is screwe'd'the threaded ends of nipples 5 and 6, respectively, and these nipples are provided with outwardly extending shouldered stemstov which are attached the air hose, the air hoseY connected with the stem of the nipple 5 being connected with the source of air supply, and the hose connected with the nipple 6 being connected with a suitable air gauge. e. i Y

kThe rounded portions of the casting which provides the body 1, at the ends of the rounds ed orbarrel portions thereof oppositethoseV in which the nipples are screwed, is vformed with an angle portion 7, the same being provided with an outwardly extended portion 8 whichv is rounded and tapered kand has screwed on its end a collar portion of a chuck 9. 'The chuck is provi-ded with an'inwardly opening plunger 1Q which is normally forced on its 'seat by aspring 11 and the` valve is .formed with an outwardly projecting knob or extension 12 that is designed to contact with the stem of the tire valve and by virtue of such contact the said plunger 10 will be moved into the body of the chuck, the spring 11 beingfcomparatively weak.

The conical extension 8 is a central bore 13 which-communicates with the chuck and which likewise communicates with an annular chamber 14 in the angle portion 7 of the casting. The lower wall of the annular chamber 14 is provided with an inwardly directed conical valve'seat 15 and the inner wall of the bore or passage 3 is provided with asimilar valve seat 16. [The valve seat16 is normally occupied by a valve 1 7 which is forced against the seat by a spring 18. The valve 17 carries a stem 19 that passes through a suitable air opening between the bore 3-and the chamber 14, and theend of the stem rwhich extends into the. chamber 14 is cone-shaped( l A Screwed in the mouth of the chamber 14 there is the reduced end of a nut member 20y and t-he said nut forces a gasket 21 against the shoulder provided at the mouth ofthe chamber4 14. The bore of the nut member 2O is nonethreaded and receives therethrough 'a plunger which is broadly indicated by the Y formed with receivedrin the hollow pfortionlvo-r'bore of they lwith t-he inner Aface of the part 2,3the're is a cup Washer 27. The threadedv end of the` I rings 39 which are disposed intermediate .Within stern 25 has a conical bore and the'isaidstem Surrounding the boreV is slitted. 'Iherevis screwed in they bore ot the element 23 ailineadless bolt 2t",v that has a conica-lend 29 that is receivedvin the conical bore of the stein;

lh bolt 28. has-its. outer endkerfed and. t- Will be apparent thatby 'turning the/-Seid bolt the slit end. Ott-lle. Stem. lwll .be

.pandedand tightly compressed in the bore of the headed portion 24 of the plunger 22.

Below lthe enlarged portion 26 of the stem 25' the said stern is formed with a second enlargey ment that has a lower hollow extending por y tion 3Q.'l Thelovver endof the stenris slitted and inherit .tof provide. Shoulders foi-the head 3101i; thest'emofVV a valve 3.3, which is v ,designed yto 'occupy the seat l5 andzto be forced thereagainstby awspringA 34' which isl f rpart 3Ql of the plunger.` The blti-QS having the i .of free turningfofthe plunger .in bushing 20in the chamber 14. f a0l FigureQ4 of the 'drawingsl contactvvith theV conical end of the stelnof ther valve 17 there @Qllil'l'nl 29ilGCVQd I theborof the Stein -25 will hold all 'of the. parts constituting the plunger v"element 22 properly associated *and Willv prevent undue Wear npon'the rubber @up Washern27 and likewise prevent any tendency Y 'The conical eleinent`29 on the'plungerwill7l When the lplunger is depressed, as Adisolosf-d- Vby unseating such valve and permitting air to flow rthrough the vnipple fthe body of the casting and find an outletthrougli'the chuck 9, when the plunger l0, is moved inwardly in `thechufck'by'contact With the stem of atire valve. Alsoit will be noted that suchniovenient of the.plunger Will 'through' the Ine- Y diuin ofthe compression of the spring 34 force the valve 33 against the seat l5v to effec!y tively close the passage ythrough the-'borevl ,p of' the body',` While obviously a. return pres v sure of air" vyillgforce the plunger y.22 to its initial. positonasdisclosed lby Figure l of n this endoffthe cage 36is peripherally red'ucedj" the 'dra'vvinga `I'n'fthe b,c` re4 4 there is received av cylindrical val-vey 'cage forin's important part of lthisinvention. The cage-.fs .best lillustrated by -igure 4r of the drawings. vOneendoithe cage is in contact With the inner end of they bore 4,' and inrtlife preferred .embodiment of @reinvention .isforced Athereagz'minst by aA helical-spring Thelcage member-36 has a longit-i "ooreth'erethrough,'and tlrevvallV provided iby this` bore '5 (and: the end "ofv the,V

seatfvihiclfis in 4Contact with theY1 end; lWall' o-ttlej/bore'flfl'is ofrj asili-table distance enlarged, as nti fto provide a valveQseat.- i By referencefto Ythe drayvingsit will be seen'that y 1 l also 'that the cage `)trono thi's'evnd;V is; prov-i,ded'k with l spaced slits 387V, vvh' ch 'corn-d letti1-eet@ Witt-.1. te@ eef@ @the @esfesag`e"40 that lias- 'an angle branch 4l directed cage 36 and arranged ybetween the' seats 37 the. mit 0'1".

.mouth of the Chamber.- 's'izen- Yal theage Sabas the aasordpeningse n yihn-the gage. The 'operator `vvitli theini-V reiget ,to theslts Oropenngs 85, d.

ijhebore 34; terminatesin" a reduced pasth'rough theseat 15 and leading vinto the ".Qhamber 14.-

The Wall provided the. pasz.-

sage 4011atr its june-ture yfvvith the borejl7V is concave@- .provide .azseat 42..; Theseat 42 iS Only Slightly.spaced away fthe-seat provided by the inner Wall .of the enlargedv Y .portion 37. of thev bore of the cylindricall and 42 there isi-a ball.' valve 43. The seats 37" and. 42 bengonly .sllightlyfspaced .snuit-.eef only a Small. Increment .Of'theb' t0 obupyether of. Sld'seatsf Thebal-Lv 1' is inluencedby airpresent"y 14 t0.. occupy the Setl37 theeage 36. and" a5 iS. lijlewis'einfluenced by; i.'1.p'1.6s'$1r. freie 5 the Cage" through the. bbl?? 4;' to' occupy the *fl 'E v' K The. 'numeral 4.4 designates. @Deiana age] which. is 'arranged betweenthe'fn f Wall. provdiedijby the here 4 and. fwhshpassag- '....fil-tesvtha .Chambe1q45infthe has@ ing orvbody l. AThereissoreivedlin the `rii fi1tlfil of the chamber' 45 a; nutfor ygasket l 4K6 thatV compresses i Washer "4.7 ,against ,the said.

Which-roty coursey'is arranged' inN thelohlanii vberl.V f f f After thefeihfi'beninflated, .as a'bovegdescribeidthepoun'ds pressure of 'airy therein 195 isv tested .by releasing? pressure i..11f 101.1 fthe plunger to* unse'at'the' valve 3:3.` lie. air passing .from we @hvckthreush .the passes@ 40 Will-'x'causefthe bally valve 43fto be's'eated the seat `lWill permit air to Vflowt'lirougli .the

,bore of said. cage and`:liklevvise through the bore 4 of the'castingnipple 6 and thehose connected thereto tothe 'gaugef.,/When the .operatori is (of the; opinion; thatj the desired' amount of poundspressure ofv air" is: ,received in thefti're'ihe Willi relinoveitle chucklfrom the airinlet 'valve fforfthe tire. 'iTli/eair from' the gagewill'inviuence theball valve f.

43 to oc'oupyfthe seat 42,'fthereby holdingair.

provement still in ".his'fjhand',` glances atv the gage andjnotesf'thel amount-"of air/'pressure "if indicated thereby. gflhis*will inform hin-i whether 01gnot; additionalfair yis vto be lsup 12;?l i y pliedlto the Vtire or anioverpressu're'oair discharged from4 the''sainelr lope'ning.V the' tirevalve'.` If more air is4 requiredtlie dei: n vice is," ofcoursey'a'gain arranged upon the il@ VLI'VQ! I'G," Vf. i

es eil? so will be relieved from the tire by openingV the bleed valve 49 and after the operator has once ascertained the amount of pounds pressure indicated by the gage it is a comparatively easy matter for him to fill the tire with the desired amount of air. My im` provement is especially desirable because in the vast majority of'instances elevated air testing 'devices have become largely.y out of use because they are so located that the automobile cannot be positioned so that the operator inflating the tire can observe the gage thereon while holding the chuck in his hand. Vith the improvement it will be noted that the amount of pounds pressure of air delivered into the tire will be accurately indicated on the dial after the device has been brought out of engagement with the air inlet valve of the tire and with this knowledge and as previously stated the operator may thereafter properly fill the tire with the desired amount of air pressure. It may also be stated that in the majority of instances motorists or attendants at filling stations employ a hand gage and such gages are frequently misplaced and because of their size are not altogether accurate. To relieve air pressure from the gage it is merely necessary to unseat the bleed valve 49 which permits the air passing through the port 44 to the atmosphere.

My improvement while extremely simple provides an apparatus that accuratelysets the gauge for any desired amount of pounds pressure of air to be directed into the tire and does not permit of any inaccuracy as to the result to be obtained which is a common deficiency in all constructions of this type with which I am acquainted.

In Figure 5 I have illustrated a slight modification in which I dispense with the spring 35 and which shows the seat 36 for a ball valve in the cage movable by air pressure between thepassage and gage to close the passage to the chamber, said casting having an air bleed passage communicating with the tubular valve cage and a normally closed release valve for said passage.

2. A 'device of the class described having spaced longitudinal passages and a chamber bisecting one of the passages and communieating with the inner lend of the second passage, a stem carrying valve movably received in the first mentioned passage and designed to be influenced by air pressure to close this passage and to project its stem into the chamber, a plunger movable inthe chamber, stop means for limiting the outward movement of the plunger, said plunger having a conical part to engage with the valve stem to unseat the valve, said plunger having ahollow portion extending from its said conical part, a sli'dable'valve-for closing the communication between the second passage and the chamber and having a stem providedwith a head which is freely rei ceived in the hollow portion of the plunger and retained therein, said last mentioned valve being designed to be raised from its seat by the outward movement of the plunger and to be'partially'moved toward its seat when the` plunger is depressed and to be forced tightly against its said seat bythe pressure of Vair passing through the first mentioned passage and entering the chamber.

In testimony whereof I afX my signature. v. ERNEST I-I. MCFARLAND.

the ball valve held in the port 4 by simply reducing the length of the said port and permitting the outer end of the seat 36 being contacted by the inner end of the nipple 6.

While I have herein disclosed a simple and satisfactory embodiment of the improvement, obviously I do not wish to be restricted to the precise details andtlierefore, hold myself entitled to make such changes therefrom as fairly fall within the scope of what I claim.

Having described the invention what is i a tubular valve cage in the gage passage AY v 

